I'm not arguing with you about the point that the "church" is intended to be the buttress and support of the truth of the Gospel, just that what you call The Church, as a separate institution with a hierarchy - your "Magesterium" - and the way Scripture defines it, are different. Of course, Peter was referred to as the "first" among the Apostles and he, as the elder of sorts, was a leader among them in the early years after Christ's ascension. But his ministry was not, contrary to some traditions, as a stay-at-home "bishop" or "pope" of the church which was there in Rome, but an itinerant evangelist whose job was leading others to saving faith in Christ and helping them establish local congregations where believers gathered to worship, share worldly goods, take care of each other and grow in their faith.
It seems that some want to pretend that Jesus gave his commission to Peter alone, but we know he sent out seventy at one time and probably many more on other occasions. To each he gave the Holy Spirit and instills them with various "sign" gifts to enhance the authority of their message. When Paul was given his commission by Jesus himself he journeyed to Jerusalem to partner with the other Apostles and to join up with them in their shared ministry. Scripture even says they agreed together that Peter's emphasis was to the House of Israel and Paul's to the Gentiles. It's all there clearly in Scripture and even writings of some of the ECFs attest to the same continuing. The teachings they shared, they later wrote down so that we have today access to the same truths they taught through Holy Scripture and God made sure it was kept and preserved for us today as our authority.
Nobody is in favor of what you call a "rogue" leader going out and starting some cult where everyone follows HIM alone and swallow everything and anything he tells them the Bible says. Nowhere in Scripture is anyone ever given license to do that. We are commended to fellowship with those of the faith in Christ just as the early Christians did in local congregations - some even met in homes. I don't think there is anything wrong with that today and nothing mandates that meetings MUST take place in a formal "church" building. I like the idea of informal gatherings to study Scripture and praise and worship the Lord together. Maybe if going to church hadn't gotten so stuffy and snooty, more people would still be meeting.
This "authority" that you claim is only given to The Church and, by it, the presumed ability to infallibly interpret Holy Scripture, misses out on the facts that this organized body has not always been correct in many areas; they have contradicted each other from Pope to Pope; they have committed atrocities in the name of Christ; they have persecuted genuine Christians; they have destroyed writings that went against them and they have made into dogma doctrines which have no Scriptural support or go against Scripture. Not the kind of behavior Peter spoke about that should be shown in the "household of God". We are all part of the Spiritual House, living stones, Peter said, and we all have the responsibility to speak the truth and demonstrate holy lives that honor and glorify our Savior.
So, if you want to relinquish your ability to reason and to investigate Scriptural truths to see if these things be so, then go right ahead. Go ahead and ignore the still small voice of the Holy Spirit that speaks to your heart when you see a Bible passage made to say what you can't see it saying. Go ahead and trust that others will take full responsibility for your soul and hand its keeping to those who demand fealty to THEIR interpretation under penalty of anathema. But shouldn't you at least wonder why they NEED to demand such if Scripture really backs them up? No, I choose the Divinely-inspired Holy Scriptures as my infallible authority and I trust the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead me unto all truth - just as Jesus promised. I don't claim to be infallible, but God's word is and I can trust it. I sincerely pray you see the truth.
*****Nobody is in favor of what you call a “rogue” leader going out and starting some cult where everyone follows HIM alone and swallow everything and anything he tells them the Bible says. Nowhere in Scripture is anyone ever given license to do that. We are commended to fellowship with those of the faith in Christ just as the early Christians did in local congregations - some even met in homes. I don’t think there is anything wrong with that today and nothing mandates that meetings MUST take place in a formal “church” building. I like the idea of informal gatherings to study Scripture and praise and worship the Lord together. Maybe if going to church hadn’t gotten so stuffy and snooty, more people would still be meeting.****
Those informal gatherings of the NT occurred because of persecution. Once that threat was gone, the Church flourished as it is human nature to want to worship God in beautiful settings and to give the best to Him.
For whom do you think all those artisans created such beauty. The Churches told the story of God and Jesus and the Holy Spirit and our relationship to them, in the stained glass and frescoes and murals. The towering spires speak of reaching up to God as He reaches down to us.
What do you think moved them?
****But his ministry was not, contrary to some traditions, as a stay-at-home “bishop” or “pope” of the church which was there in Rome,****
Had Peter died in another city, that city would be the center of the Church.
I find it fascinating how God works.
Jerusalem was under control of the Romans at the time Jesus lived. And it was the Romans who destroyed Jerusalem in 70AD. The Jews wanted a king to overthrow the Romans and free them from their oppression. St. Paul was a Roman citizen and then, he and Peter died in Rome and it was from Rome that Christianity gained its freedom.
****This “authority” that you claim is only given to The Church and, by it, the presumed ability to infallibly interpret Holy Scripture, misses out on the facts that this organized body has not always been correct in many areas; they have contradicted each other from Pope to Pope; they have committed atrocities in the name of Christ; they have persecuted genuine Christians; they have destroyed writings that went against them and they have made into dogma doctrines which have no Scriptural support or go against Scripture. Not the kind of behavior Peter spoke about that should be shown in the “household of God”. We are all part of the Spiritual House, living stones, Peter said, and we all have the responsibility to speak the truth and demonstrate holy lives that honor and glorify our Savior.****
Protestants always love to point to sinners in the Church thinking it somehow discounts the Church’s authority. Popes have not contradicted each other on binding doctrine and dogmas. There has been no change in Church doctrine, only a deepened understanding of the truth.
Jesus never promised that those who led the Church would be perfect. Peter was rash and impulsive and not always obedient. When he did not live according to the Council of Jerusalem, Paul had to rebuke him. But, that didn’t mean that Peter could not lead the Church, only that he was not perfect.
I hope I am not being presumptuous to say that you are a sinner. Yet, you believe that in spite of being a sinner, the Holy Spirit can/will guide you to the truth. What would make you different from the Church?
The Church has not changed, just as the truth has not changed. The truth revealed in the NT, was not a different truth than what was revealed in the OT, it was a deeper understanding of that truth, because God had come as Man to deepen our understanding, of God’ love, sacrifice and redemption. And He came to draw all men to Himself, not just those to whom He had already revealed Himself.
The nature of mankind did not change with the coming of Christ, rather the nature of the covenant changed for we now had a perfect sacrifice and a perfect intercessor for our redemption.
You bring up the killing of genuine Christians by Catholics. Do you forget or ignore the killing of Catholic Christians by protestants? Why? Is it because to do so would be to admit that not just Catholics have done such wrong in the name of spreading the gospel?
I think of Peter in the garden when they came to arrest Jesus. What did he do? He grabbed a sword and cut off the ear of one of the centurions. Now, Peter was not a fighting man and probably never dreamed that he would do something like that. But, what did Jesus do? He told Peter to put away his sword and then healed the man.
Christians have put away their swords and Jesus will heal the wound that such violence caused.
In every age, we see the Holy Spirit guiding the Church away from that which is wrong within her and toward what is right.
The problem is that protestants can’t see the forest for the trees.
****So, if you want to relinquish your ability to reason and to investigate Scriptural truths to see if these things be so, then go right ahead. Go ahead and ignore the still small voice of the Holy Spirit that speaks to your heart when you see a Bible passage made to say what you can’t see it saying. Go ahead and trust that others will take full responsibility for your soul and hand its keeping to those who demand fealty to THEIR interpretation under penalty of anathema. But shouldn’t you at least wonder why they NEED to demand such if Scripture really backs them up? No, I choose the Divinely-inspired Holy Scriptures as my infallible authority and I trust the indwelling Holy Spirit to lead me unto all truth - just as Jesus promised. I don’t claim to be infallible, but God’s word is and I can trust it. I sincerely pray you see the truth.****
Why have I relinquished my ability to reason because I accept the Church as Christ’s and trust that the Holy Spirit guides her? If it makes you feel good to think that, go ahead. I know differently. I know that I have searched Scripture, as well as Tradition and history to know that the Church is exactly what she claims.
That still small voice of the Holy Spirit led me back to the Church.
If your prayer is for me to see the truth as you see it, please don’t bother. I have been there, done that and found where God wants me to be.